Pretoria Road finally fixed

After four and a half years of enquiries and community-supported petitions, the successful rehabilitation of one of the main arterial routes through Benoni has finally been achieved.

With flashing amber lights, teams contracted by the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) descended on Pretoria Road in the dead of night, starting May 15, kick-starting the R8.2m project.

Ward 27 Clr Lornette Joseph said the eventual refurbishment of the road, often referred to as a roller coaster, is a highlight of her term as ward councillor.

“A budget of R153m was initially allocated to Pretoria Road through the Urban Settlement Development Grant (USDG), which is an external funding mechanism from the national government for major urban projects,” she explained.

“Due to commercial developments springing up along this route, as well as increased traffic volumes, including heavy vehicles, plans were put in place to accommodate the widening of the road from Morris Avenue in Morehill to Parker Street in Rynfield.

“These plans were, however, halted when the allocated funds were reassigned to other projects.”

Joseph believes that continued pressure has led to the project finally taking off, even if it currently focuses only on the resurfacing of the road.

“Imagine my surprise when I arrived at work on May 19 without having to swerve to avoid potholes or having my thoughts scrambled by the Pretoria Road roller coaster,” said Sandy Louis of @ The Bistro Rynfield.

“I could not believe my eyes! The road markings were clear, and the road was smooth. What a way to start the week.”

Business owner Regan Demos, of Carniraw, said she was elated by the unexpected development.

“It is refreshing to see that our municipality is capable of effectively and efficiently undertaking such a mammoth task,” she said.

“Teams were working from 21:30 to 03:00 daily, which did not impact daytime traffic.

“We are immensely satisfied that the road is finally receiving the urgent attention it deserves.”

Joseph echoed these sentiments, saying that although the widening of Pretoria Road should be revisited, the project has had a positive impact on road safety as well as community sentiment towards the metro.

“I am happy to see that road maintenance is once again high on the CoE’s agenda and that mere patch jobs are no longer the norm,” she said.

“I can happily tick Pretoria Road off my list of things I wanted to achieve during my term.”

According to CoE spokesperson Zweli Dlamini, the 3.2km project, which runs from Eleventh Avenue in Northmead to Robinson Street in Rynfield, includes milling and patching of the surface using a Bitumen Treatment Base (BTB), priming, overlaying, and road-marking.

“The scope of work forms part of the city’s routine and preventative maintenance, based on budgetary availability,” he said.

“A total of 14 roads within Ward 24 received urgent attention, with the filling of potholes taking priority. Sections of Uys Street were also rehabilitated.”

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